DS wants to try broccoli. Is there something else that will make him into a veg lover?

[Kiriwawa]

This is really an SN post but I'm casting the net wide for more ideas!

DS has SN and is a food refuser all round. He eats about 10 things and only one veg (corn on the cob).

He saw a photo of himself with a bit of broccoli when he was a baby and has said he's going to try it tomorrow. He is very scared of food he doesn't know but he's recently tried 2 new foods (1 liked, 1 not) so I feel we're on a bit of a roll so I really want to capitalise on his excitement that actually the bit of melon he ate wasn't the most delicious thing ever but neither did it kill him.

On the one hand, great that he wants to try it. On the other, I'm worried he'll hate it and that will be the window to the magic world of veg shut for another 3 years.

Any suggestions?

That sounds lovely Fru might try that!

I served Broccoli to fussy DS for the first time tossed in a little melted very-slightly-salted-butter - works to make it yummier like cheese, but it still looks the same (so the plan is to gradually reduce the amount of butter till he accepts it plain)

Did he talk to her at all while you were at the table op?

^wrong thread sorry

Nothing to add, but this sounds so like me! I will do a roast, but not cook the veg (or if I do, it's only VERY lightly steamed still cold ) I hate mushy veg.

How old is your DS? If he is young enough could you make things with the veg? For example a very smooth mash (use a potato ricer for no lumps) made into a rocket shape. Peas for the windows and triangular pieces of carrot for the fins. Sweet corn as the surface of the moon and a small spaceman cut out of carrot.

This reminded me of the chocolate coated veg iceland used to sale in order to get kids to eat it.didn't take off did it.

as a longer term option, would it make veg more exciting if he grew it? lots of veg can be grown in pots and planters too..

What a load of brilliant ideas here, thanks so much.

I shall give the melted butter a go and also have a go at roasting.

sc13 - that is genius re having a 'try a new food' days marked in advance and then having a scoring sheet. He uses a lot of visual reminders at school (and sometimes at home to help with dressing etc) so it's something he's familiar with and enjoys.

I've tried growing things with him - he has no interest at all I'm afraid. But we have talked about picking strawberries so maybe we could pick some beans or something and try those? Sauces/soups/blended things are a total no-no. He hasn't eaten pasta since he was 3. Crunch all the way.

He's 6 so baby food is out but his diet is getting more restricted as he gets older so I really need to start pushing it back in the other direction.

(now regretting putting this in chat - will have to print it out so I don't lose it)

I don't know if it will be of any help, but DS1&2 were fairly food restricted, DS1 especially so.
I started by just putting a small amount of new food on the plate along with lots of a food they did like. The first times they didn't even have to try it. When they were used to having it on their plate I then made them lick it - if they did there was no 'now go on and eat it' just praise for licking it. Then the next time they had to try a bite (again no 'now eat all of it'). It took about 3 years to increase their diet to a sensible level of foods they would eat, but was really worth the effort. DS1 still doesn't really like the texture of mushy foods but will now e.g. eat mashed potato under slight duress, as long as I don't give it too often.

We heap on the praise for trying something new, and never show frustration whenever DS1 says 'I don't like it/ I'm not so keen'.

It's made it into a much more positive thing for him, and he's much happier to try things and even suggest new things he's like to try next.

We also say regularly, if there's anything on our plates or bowls of food on tha table he'd like to try, he's more than welcome.

It's made it alot less stressful for all of us tbh.

Oh, and you can report your own thread and ask the lovely MNHQ to shift this over to Food or somewhere if you don't want it to disappear.

I can't put unknown food on his plate - I've done that in the past and he just won't eat any of it. I do get a lot less stressed about it now (especially since he got his SN referral) but I think I've gone a bit too far the other way - I don't encourage him to try new things very much any more because it reduces the stress levels around here but it's pretty lazy parenting if I'm honest .

Good idea re asking MN to move the thread - I will do that :)

How about crunchy raw veg? Carrots, peppers, cucumber (not tomatoes because they are often problematic for texture)

We're finding that extra pocket money is helping DS1 to be more adventurous with his eating, at the moment :o He used to eat well, but has gone off more and more things. And he's realised now that he's bored with his diet. He's done really well, though and is negotiating his own targets and fees (he's 9, so I think that he might have found a previously undiscovered seam of maturity)

He's had carrot and professes to like it but he sort of sucks carrot sticks and doesn't actually swallow any.

Bribery is a good idea though - he responds well to that :o

What at cracking thread! We're going to move it to SN Chat now, at the request of the OP.

Doh - SN children, sorry!

Sucking on a carrot stick is a good start - it means he's at least able to touch them and taste them.

We realised how much of a problem DS2 has when we tried giving him bits of veg to play with and he couldn't even touch them without gagging.

And yes, Kate, it is a cracking thread. So often, when the subject of restricted eaters comes up, there's an army of people who insist that problems can be overcome by not pandering to them. I'm glad this one stayed positive for the OP.

Thanks very much Kate :)

And that's really good to know ourvye. I've bought some tenderstem broccoli and prepped him for trying it tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

I'm amazed (and delighted) this has been so positive too - I wonder if it would have been if I'd omitted the SN bit?

Just popped back here, as noticed this thread again.

My Mum used to do a very tasty courgette dish, peel alternate stips off the whole courgette then poach or steam (or microwave) the whole courgette for a few moments to just soften slightly. Allow to cool, then halve lengthways if liked, then dip in beaten egg and roll in breadcrumbs, then shallow fry, turning to get the crispy crunch!
Works best with small to medium sized courgettes.
We used to have this served with slice of lemon to squeeze over and maybe some mayonaisse, as a stand alone course back in the days when courgettes were a rare and exotic find, though that's hard to imagine now!

Oh, garlic crispy mushrooms might work for him too.

And, just thought, if your DS likes eggs, DS2 has sometimes been able to eat veg if chopped small and cooked into a frittata. He likes eggs and the texture desensitises him and he gets to enjoy the flavour of albeit tiny amounts of things like leeks or spinach.

Both good ideas, ta. ATM eggs are in the screaming fear corner but they didn't used to be.

I've mooted the broccoli tenderstems and shown them to him. So far so good.

This is worse than a first date :o

Ds is similar to your ds, about 10 regular foods and then some food that goes in and out of fashion never to be touched again for years! Ds is a 'beige' boy. All the food he eats regularly is beige.

I find with ds its the getting him to agree to try that is the most important part.

He doesn't like cooked veg, it has to be raw and usually his 'trying' new foods involves him putting the tiniest piece in his mouth, saying 'mmm' then that's it, never to be tried again!

Nothing useful to add really, however im watching with interest and you are not alone.